Friday, November 1, 2013

Why Handmade: Streamlining Production

Over the last few months, I have been discussing the pros
and cons of making things by hand, and purchasing handmade items from local
artists and businesses. There is a joy and pride to owning a one of a kind
piece of art, knowing no one else has the exact same thing as you. The pride of
ownership is not the same when you purchase something mass-produced from a
department store.

However, as a small business owner, your time is money.
Small business owners don’t have the luxury of large equipment and many people
on staff to create for them. In most instances, if they are truly creating one
of a kind art, everything is made with their own two hands with no assistance
from others. If one is truly going to make a living at their craft, they are
either going to have to create pieces with expensive price tags, or learn how
to use time effectively. The former is a matter of product choice. If you are a
woodworker, learn to make high quality large-scale furniture, such as cabinetry
or dining room table and chairs. A jewelry designer can choose finer materials
such as gold and high clarity gemstones. Such items may take many hours, but
the customer will be willing to pay the price tag.

sample earring designs with different variations

There is a threshold of how much more a customer will pay
for an item that has been handmade. We need to determine that threshold and
create items that will earn us a livable wage. Forty hours of work on an item only
worth $45 is not good business sense. If your material cost is $5, you have
paid yourself $1 an hour for your skills. People get paid more to flip burgers
at your local fast food joint. Your talent and skills are worth more than a
solitary dollar.

Annealing several pieces at once makes for speedier work

There are ways of saving time and effort, and still making
one-of-a-kind pieces at a reasonable cost to the consumer. At Prunella’s
Workshop, for example, we have taken techniques which we have found to be
successful, and we are applying those techniques in slightly different ways to
create different pieces with only slight changes in the way we work. For
example, we have a circle cutter, which allows us to cut several uniform discs
at once. In the time I can hand cut one wobbly circle, I can cut several perfect
circles. Different hammers create textures on the metal. Circles do not need to
remain circles. They can be hammered, folded and unfolded with dramatically
different results, but no additional extra work on my part. I can anneal
several pieces at once instead of one at a time. Instead of hand polishing, I
can put the pieces in a tumbler, which will produce a similar effect and I can
move on to a different project. By keeping the process simple, I produce far
more pieces in less time, while keeping that handmade uniqueness to my work.

Several new pieces have been lacquered to prevent tarnishing, and are drying together

Are there ways you can streamline your work process? Is
there a place where you may be able to work smarter without cutting corners?